Volunteers
Thank you to our 2023-2024 volunteers:
Steering Committee
Anantachai, Tarida*
Arellano Douglas, Veronica
Bell, Kathleen
Cook, Dani Brecher
Freundlich, Shanti*
James, Heather
Jones, Shannon D.*
Kirker, Maoria J.
Lacey, Sajni*
Lemmons, David*
Smith-Cruz, Shawn(ta)
Smothers, Diann
Communications Committee
Anantachai, Tarida* (chair)
Bopp, Melanie
Clement, Kristina
Ferer, Elise
Pittman, Kim
Sanchez, Joshua
Shen, Julie
Twardoski, Kristen
Logistics Committee
Byrd, Jason
Garcia, Colleen
James, Heather*
Hartsell-Gundy, Arianne
Lemmons, David* (Chair)
Morris, Chris
Putirskis, Cate
Quintana, Erika
Ventura, Gerie
Wienke, Lori
Program Planning Committee
Brady, Jennifer
Bullington, Jeffrey S.
Foster, Britt
Jones, Shannon D. *(Co-Chair)
Lacey, Sajni *(Co-Chair)
Soni, Sonam
Urton, Ellen
Hall, Anita
Martinez-Garcia, Federico
Technology Committee
Brissett, Alyssa
Cotterman, Billie
Fabiku, Adebola
Freundlich, Shanti* (Chair)
Galoozis, Elizabeth
Kimmitt, Joanna Messer
Kuglitsch, Rebecca
Volunteer Coordinator
Smith-Cruz, Shawn(ta)*
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*Committee Chair and Steering Committee Liaison
Meet Our Team
Steering Committee
Shawn(ta) Smith-Cruz
Role:
Associate Dean, Teaching, Learning, & Engagement at New York University
Background:
Shawn(ta) is a dynamic leader in academic libraries, currently serving as an Associate Dean. She is passionate about teaching, learning, and fostering engagement in the library setting.
Why CALM is Meaningful:
“CALM is a place where library professionals can be in conversation about the unknown parts of library management, bringing those parts to the fore, and critically evaluating them with a person-centered approach.”
Fun Fact: "I co-founded the Fridays in May: Queer BIPOC Peer-Networking Program which held its first iteration in May 2024!"
Communications Committee
Kristina Clement
Role:
Assistant Director of Academic Engagement & Instruction at Kennesaw State University
Background: Kristina is deeply involved in academic engagement and instruction, shaping the way students and faculty interact with the library at Kennesaw State University.
Why CALM is Meaningful:
“As someone who is always seeking out more leadership opportunities, CALM has helped me learn a lot, reflect on my own leadership styles, and help me see where my path forward might lead. Between the participants and all the individuals who make the conference happen, it's a supportive, positive community that I'm very proud to be part of.”
Fun Fact: “I've lived in 6 different states and one country outside the U.S.!”
Steering Committee
Dani Brecher Cook
Role:
Associate University Librarian at UC San Diego Library
Background:
Dani is an accomplished leader in academic libraries, currently serving as an Associate University Librarian, her innovative approach to library services sets her apart.
Why CALM is Meaningful:
“I have met so many other thoughtful and caring library workers through CALM. They inspire me to keep pushing the edges of my comfort zone, and continually reflect on and improve my management practice.”
Fun Fact: “Gayle King once told me she liked my shoes!”
Technology Committee
Billie Cotterman
Role: Head of Electronic Resources and Access Services
Background: Billie Cotterman is the Electronic Resources and Access Services Librarian at Nebraska Wesleyan University. She obtained her BA in Latin from Florida State University, her MA in Classics from the University of Iowa, and her MA in Library Science also from the University of Iowa. Her professional interests include information and visual literacy; user experience and accessibility; educational technology; metadata and technical services; foreign language; and history. Currently, she is reading a reporter’s account of the JFK assassination.
Why CALM is Meaningful: "CALM gives me information and education that I don't get from other conferences. I'm also proud that I have been with the conference since its beginning, thanks to the very few times that I ever checked my Twitter!"
Fun Fact: "I adopted two FIV+ cats in November. Their names are Raymond and Chandler."
Communications Committee
Elise Ferer
Role:
Instruction and Outreach Librarian at Binghamton University Libraries
Background:
Elise has a rich background in both academic libraries and the fashion industry, bringing a unique blend of skills to her current role in instruction and outreach.
Why CALM is Meaningful:
”I've found the folks who are interested in CALM are interested in people and care about some of the same things that are important to me. Namely being kind, treating other people well, and creating workplaces where these things are valued.”
Fun Fact:
“Before Libraries I worked in the fashion industry in NYC and still can recognize the coats I worked on.”
Technology Committee
Adebola Fabiku
Role:
Department Head, Access Services at NC State University Libraries
Background:
Adebola leads Access Services at NC State University Libraries, where she excels in managing and optimizing library access for all.
Why CALM is Meaningful: “CALM is meaningful to me because it tackles a glaring gap in our profession: no one really teaches you how to be a good manager. What we often learn on the job is a masterclass in bad management, which drives talented people away from organizations and even the entire profession. Learning from each other through CALM we're given tools that help break the cycle of poor management and create work environments where people actually want to stay and grow. “
Fun Fact:
“I've met several celebrities just out and about on the street. They were the real celebrities, not a look-a-like.”
Technology Committee
Shanti Freundlich
Role:
Associate Director for Library Learning and Assessment at MCPHS University
Background: Shanti Freundlich coordinates cross-departmental projects, supports the Library’s approach to teaching, and integrates meaningful assessment at MCPHS University. Shanti incorporates human-centered management practices and critical pedagogy into her work. She also volunteers with Partners for Visual Health, All Dog Rescue, and the Prison Book Program.
Why CALM is Meaningful: “Being part of CALM is meaningful to me because I appreciate that CALM recognizes that management is a skill that we all need to practice and learn more about, and that the organizing team is so thoughtful and excited about each other and the work, and we infuse our values into the logistics and planning. “
Fun Fact: “I used to be a stagehand and I learned to ask a lot of questions about work because of the time I didn't ask enough questions and had to completely rebuild a scaffolding structure because I didn't ask enough questions. “
Program Planning Committee
Anita R. Hall
Role:
Associate Professor, Assessment & Analytics Librarian at University of Louisville Libraries
Background: Anita Hall is a mid-career Assessment Librarian who has worked in a variety of academic libraries throughout her career. Though not a direct manager, Anita holds an administrative role at the University of Louisville Libraries and values connecting with colleagues in similar positions.
Why CALM is Meaningful:
“I'm not directly a manager, but serve in an administrative role and there are not many people in my organization in a similar position. It is great to connect and learn more from colleagues with similar roles!”
Fun Fact:
“I sew and make many of my own clothes!”
Communications Committee
Arianne Hartsell-Gundy
Role:
Head of the Humanities and Social Sciences and Librarian for Literature at Duke University
Background:
Arianne leads the Humanities and Social Sciences department at Duke University, where she also serves as a librarian for literature, supporting research and instruction in these fields.
Why CALM is Meaningful:
“I love that it provides a thoughtful and compassionate space to discuss all aspects of being a manager. I always feel refreshed after I attend the conference.”
Fun Fact:
“I recently adopted a cat. We named him Biro after László Bíró because my husband is a pen geek.”
Program Planning & Steering Committee
Shannon D. Jones
Role:
Co-Chair, Program Planning
Background: Shannon currently holds several leadership positions as the Director of Libraries and Chair of the Academic Affairs Faculty at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). Additionally, she serves as the Director of Region 2 of the Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM), which is one of the seven regional medical libraries in the United States.
Why CALM is Meaningful: "CALM is meaningful for me because it is a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for exploring leadership and management in academic libraries. I highly value the diversity of voices in this space and the opportunity to learn from managers at all levels. The tangible outcome of the CALM experience is that I left the conference feeling inspired to be a better leader, and it provided me with insights that have helped me improve my leadership skills."
Fun Fact: "I am a Girl Scout Troop Leader."
Technology Committee
Joanna Messer Kimmitt
Role:
Director, Library & Learning Support Services at West Valley College
Background:
Joanna is a dedicated leader in community college libraries, focusing on student success and accessibility. Her work spans both library and learning support services.
Why CALM is Meaningful: “CALM is the best professional development resource I have in my toolbox. It is generative, restorative, inclusive, and person-centered. The work that comes forward through CALM helps me to live out my professional values as a human and humane manager and leader, and I have been able to build my own skills and relationships through service with CALM. The folks who make up this learning community have had my back through the toughest part of my career to date. I’m so glad CALM exists!”
Fun Fact:
“I’m a one-day Jeopardy! champion - you can look me up in the J! Archive for October 18-19, 2017!”
Technology Committee
Rebecca Kuglitsch
Role:
Faculty Director for Branches & Services Tea
Background: Rebecca has been a librarian at CU Boulder for over ten years, starting in science librarianship and now leading the team that manages public service points and branches. She enjoys the opportunity to explore how to create different kinds of community at all library locations across the CU campus.
Why CALM is Meaningful:
"CALM is a place where I can talk to peers about shared problems—it's one of the few places I can find intellectual and emotional community around management, and every time the conference ends, I feel tired but refreshed."​
Fun Fact:
"I am a gigantic plant nerd and am absurdly excited every time I manage to successfully sprout a local pollinator wildflower."
Program Planning & Steering Committee
Sajni Lacey
Role:
Director, Library & Learning Support Services at West Valley College
Background:
Sajni has focused on instruction, curriculum, and information literacy throughout her entire library career. She is dedicated to anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and critical pedagogy in her teaching and leadership practices.
Why CALM is Meaningful: "CALM is meaningful to me as it provides a space for those who lead from wherever they are in their organizations to learn, grow, and develop their practices in a supportive environment."
values as a human and humane manager and leader, and I have been able to build my own skills and relationships through service with CALM. The folks who make up this learning community have had my back through the toughest part of my career to date. I’m so glad CALM exists!”
Fun Fact:
"I was obsessed with The Beatles as a child and still have more collectibles than I am proud to admit!"
Communications Committee
Kim Pittman
Role:
Research & Learning Team Manager at University of Minnesota Duluth
Background: Kim Pittman has been at the University of Minnesota Duluth since 2011, first serving as an Information Literacy Librarian and now managing a team of liaison librarians. She also presents the ACRL workshop "Engaging with the ACRL Framework: A Catalyst for Exploring and Expanding Our Teaching Practices."
Why CALM is Meaningful: “I've found CALM to be a really supportive and fun community of folks who are committed to growing their management skills in reflective and intentional ways. I particularly appreciate CALM's emphasis on person-centered management, justice, and inclusion.”
Fun Fact:
“I love ferns and have 18 different types of them growing in my home and office.”
Logistics Committee
Cate Putirskis
Role:
Archival Technical Services Manager at Ohio State University
Background: Cate Putirskis is the manager of the Archival Technical Services unit at Ohio State University, where she leads a team responsible for intake, accessioning, arrangement, description, and archival/special collections management. With an MA in Public History from North Carolina State University, Cate has worked primarily in academic libraries during her career.
Why CALM is Meaningful: “CALM is an authentic, empathetic, and transparent community that understands what it's *really* like to be in library management (especially middle management), and provides support that is thoughtful and approachable.”
Fun Fact:
“I collect (and knit from) original 1930s and 1940s knitting patterns.
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Communications Committee
Joshua Ethan Sanchez
Role:
Head of User Experience at Michigan State University
Background:
Joshua leads user experience initiatives at Michigan State University, enhancing the way users interact with the library’s services and resources.
Why CALM is Meaningful: “CALM is easily the most open, honest, and supportive meeting of library management/leaders that I've witnessed. I gain so much insight into the common issues and trends surrounding leadership in Libraries, and it really helps me feel that I'm not alone in what I'm seeing and experiencing. And I love the candidness with which this group talks about their experiences!”
Fun Fact:
“In undergrad/grad school, I studied to be a classically trained opera singer."
Communications Committee
Julie Shen
Role:
Research & Instruction Librarian at Cal Poly Pomona
Background: Born in Taiwan and raised in Southern California, Julie Shen brings a multicultural perspective to her work. Her dedication to supporting students and faculty in their research and instruction efforts is evident in her role.
Why CALM is Meaningful: “First and foremost, I find it incredibly meaningful the way CALM incorporates DEI into every conference. I've learned so much from the Beyond the Land Acknowledgment discussions as well as many of the presentations. I also love working with my fellow volunteers. Even though I've only met them on Zoom, I feel like I really know them!”
Fun Fact: “I love to travel! I visited the Republic of Türkiye many years ago, and I'm learning how to pronounce the new name. I've been also following the recent anti-tourism protests out of personal as well as academic interest (I'm the librarian for my university's college of hospitality management, which covers tourism). “
Grant & Steering Committee
Diann Smothers
Role:
Manager, District Library Technical Services
Background: A colleague once told Diann that she has "libraried all the library things," which feels fairly accurate. She has worked in or managed all major areas of libraries and has experience as both staff and faculty in academic and public settings.
Why CALM is Meaningful:
"The emphasis on practice of management, the everyday challenges, mean a lot to me."
Fun Fact:
"I won a sword at a contest in Kansas, and checking it at the airport was interesting to explain!"
Logistics Committee
Lori Wienke
Role:
Acquisitions & E-Resources Librarian at SUNY Oneonta
Background:
Lori is dedicated to optimizing library acquisitions and managing electronic resources, ensuring that her institution’s library collections meet the needs of its users.
Why CALM is Meaningful: “Attending the first CALM Conference was a transformational experience for me as a new librarian. My own praxis centers inclusion and radical empathy, and I am grateful to have found like-minded professionals in the CALM community.”
Fun Fact:
“I am an ailurophile and guardian of four rescue cats.”
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